Penn alum John Legend's voice is coming to Google Assistant

And while the retail giant might have been joking, Google is very serious about enlisting a celebrity voice for their automated assistant.

An update for Google Maps also will be coming which will give the user a "For You" tab, that will show them new businesses in their area and also the trending restaurants.

Making the competition in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered assistants space tougher, Google on Tuesday announced that people will soon have a choice of choosing from six voices, including one of musician John Legend, to talk to "Google Assistant".

This is a big deal because "our technologies reflect our culture", Dr. Miriam E. Sweeney, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama who specializes in digital media, told Moneyish. On top of that, "Multiple Actions", which is already being made available, means users can ask more complex questions like "what's the weather like in London and Paris?"

It's the only voice assistant without a human name, but it's finally serving up more personality. "But it's not strictly interchangeable between genders". Starting today, we're rolling out Custom Routines, which allow you to create your own Routine with any of the Google Assistant'sone million Actions, and start your routine with a phrase that feels best for you. As the Huffington Post recently noted, half a billion Apple devices have Siri on them; Amazon sold tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices during the 2017 holiday shopping spree, and Microsoft's Cortana has nearly 150 million active monthly users.

Google also just changed the Assistant so that you only have to use the trigger phrase (Hey Google) to begin a conversation. A male, and a female listed as Voice II in the Google Home and Assistant apps. Moreover, it can speak in new voices or listen for continuous questions.

Go to "Google Assistant Settings".

"Of course, there's also the cultural narrative of bossing a person of color around on our phones", she added, referring to Legend.

Google introduced some other features on Tuesday to stop users from behaving badly. FreeTime blocks access to Alexa features like shopping, news, or third-party services, and also encourages kids to say please and thank you via a feature called Magic Word.

The Google Assistant had a lot to say this year at Google's annual IO developer event.

Comments

Latest Posts

California moves toward solar panel requirement
It goes into effect January 1, 2020, and includes all condominiums and apartment buildings up to three stories high. In this tight housing market, any roof - with or without solar panels - is desirable, real estate agents say.

Coal mining fatalities on the rise
Sources said that after the gas explosion, a huge fire broke out in the Marwar mine causing it to collapse. Mines in Pakistan are operated by the semi-autonomous Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation.

'US Embassy' road signs put up in Jerusalem
Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump , and son-in-law, Jared Kushner , who serve as advisers to the president, will also attend. Barkat's tweet comes as the new embassy is set to open in May to mark Israel's 70th anniversary.

LEADING OFF: Dodgers-Padres in Mexico, Kingham pitches again
It was a slugging clinic in the rout, with three home runs, including Will Chambers Santa Clarita leading ninth of the season. The 23-year-old Buehler was the Dodgers' first-round pick (24th overall) in the 2015 draft out of Vanderbilt University.

China's trade surplus with USA widens as exports surge
China's imports of soya beans and crude oil rose in April from the previous month, though imports of iron ore and coal fell. The latest figures come as China and the United States spar over Beijing's perennial trade surplus.

Who's top-ranked high school in San Diego County?
News Best High Schools rankings, five were awarded gold medals, 19 earned silver medals and 82 received bronze medals.", a U.S. The Palm Beach County School District said in a statement that Suncoast has made teaching financial literacy a priority. ".

Warriors Open as Series Favorites over Rockets
Houston has been planning for this showdown for some time now, having built a team capable of competing with the Warriors. Daryl Morey just might get his wish, as the Rockets and Warriors are set to face off in the Western Conference Finals .

Gulf braces for fallout after USA exit from Iran deal
Riyadh has long accused its regional archfoe Tehran of supplying Yemen's rebels with ballistic missiles, a charge Tehran denies. Saudi Arabia applauded Trump's announcement, but said it would seek to develop its own nuclear weapons if Iran does.